Signaling device for automobiles.



H. P. NOBLE.

SIGNALING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30, 1915.

v1,216,481. Patented Feb.20,1917.

3 s SHEETS-SHEET 1.

mu human H. P. NOBLE.

SIGNALING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30. I915.

1,216,481. Patented Feb.20,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

"4:44 :4 :ava.

H. P. NOBLE.

SIGNALING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30. I915.

1,21 6,481; Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

i 9r ,1 i 5 1 wwwtoz msrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

- HARVEY r. NOBLE, or 'rzntanntrnm, PENNSYLVANIA.

sxeimtms mivicn non AUTOMOBILES.

l fiifigefiii. Specification of Letters Patent Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

Application am Ap1i130, 1915. Serial eases.

may concern. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vievvj-in section on at? whoa-cot a l I, Hanvny P. NOBLE, a an enlarged scale on the line 41 of Flg. 3,

"" 14 H 4. be it nail Uri States, residing at the cup at? being removed; Phiiacie in county of Philadelphia Fig. 5 is a similar view in section on'th'e 5 A eansylvania, have invented line 55 of Fig. 3.

d. usefui' Improvements in Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view partly in I for Automobiles. of elevation and partiy in longitudinal section which :i'eliov/ing is a Specification. illustrating "the means for holding the sig- My in 'on relates to improvements in nal at its various positions of adjustment signaiing; vices for automobiies, the oo- Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vieW partly in ,ect of the nvention being to provide an sectionanci partly in elevation showing the improved cc; struction of signal which may connection between the arms 32 and 33.

be observed from the front or the rear, and Fig. 8 is a face view of the disk 40 showvvhich will indicate the turning direction in the rod 28 therein in section. the driver proposes to take. Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illus- A further object is to provide improved trating a mom tic/1i. and

turning the signal, and improved i j. 10 a v similar to Fig. 2 of the @i means for the signal turning modification vvn in Fig. 9.

ch permits the mechanisn'i to l- 1 represents a platform constituting the 2e connection with any crtlibottom of an automobile, and 2 is a dash boar-cl which s icivn fiat, but which may s to provide improved be of any 0 l shape, and While my iilustratecl in conh board, it is to be slight modification 7 n'ieci'ianism may be 86 used on any to o .1 hoard.

i-it one side of ti Gash board 2, I locate ct is to orovitle a signal of i. vein tubular shaft sunnorted 1) Y the character eescri'oed 1n Wi'ilfil'l at nig ht eraclrt time ano c, which ma be see, the lame is lillllflltQCi When. in si 'naim mono. and miiustalne as IilIlSfiIiltG (i'. or ma Y giiishmi when in normui be of an shape zTflQi riesign desired.-

positicni e or non-s2 aiing position. thereby pro *ent- The bracket arm l has a bearing sleeve 6 mg any n of eiectrlc current. at its outer end in which shaft 3 turns. The

A:urthe ohjectis to provide an improveci arm 5 is provided at its outer end with a signaiing' me 1a ism oi the character stated hearing bloc" through which the shaft 3 so which is adapted tor use in connection "with proyects and .ely turns.

heavy trucks as Well as passenger cars, anti pinion S is secured to the shaft anti which. with but shght modification, may turns in a i 53 in the upper "Face of block be utilized in connection with any style of i. ii. horizoutii bar 10 is mounted to slide autoi'nohile other vehicle. in hearin T .qiiz' 'mi to (lash board 2. anti i'i i'tl'i amiother objects in view the one end 10 provided with a invention c in certain novel features rack wh \trlhlkj through the recess combinations and of block it. u res with a pinion 8, so

oi? must on and i'antg'emenh oi carts will be more fuil that the lonoit'miu'ml movement of rocl 10 l .7 U o hereina'. N (iGSCTIlbQf claims.

and pointed out in the a rotary movement to shaft 3. ml is secured on the upper end in the mnempanyius drawings: 0 he shai't by means of a set screw 14,. Figure 1 is a view in section through the and this signal consists of a casing having to front portion of an automobile illustrating apertures 15 therein with sheets of glass 16 my improvements attached thereto. hack of the same. i In the present instance 3 is a fragmentary plan view. the apertures are in the form of an arrow,

Fig. 3 is view in iongitudinai section on but may be of any other shape to indicate enlarree? on the hne 33 of Fig. 1. direction.

. 1e signal is in vthe form of an oblong box or casing, and inside of the same an electric lamp 1? is located. (in top of the s gnal locate a spherical mirror 18 h may be secured to the signal in any l manner, and is located centrally in lino i -l the shaft 3, so that the turning movement of the signal does not effect the position of the spherical mirror. This mirror enables the driver of the car to observe objects from any direction, and is always in the proper position for observations.

disk 19 of non-conducting material is secured on top of the block 7, and is provided with a horse shoe contact 20. 21 is a pin carried by the shaft 3 and insulated from the latter, and this pin constitutes a movable contact.

Co J 20 is connected by a wire 22 with one pole of the lamp 1?, and wire is connected to the other pole of the lamp, and extends tor. source of electricity. A wire 24 connects the source of electricity with the pin 21, so that when the pin 21 is in either extreme position, which will be the signaling positions, it will close the electric cirouit. The signaling position is indicated in full lines in Fig. 2, and the normal or nonsignaling position in dotted lines.

reason of this arrangement of electric contact no current is wasted and on the dash limard 2 it have shown an ordii'iary switch which is designed to open and close the electric circuit as desired.

The horizontal bar 10 is provided with a rack 26 which is engaged by a pinion 27 on a rod 28, the latter having a hand wheel 29 at its upper free end to turn the same.

The lower end of the rod 28 has a thrust bearing 30, and said rod is supported between its ends in bearings 31.

The bearings 31 form integral portions of arms 32, the latter adj ustably connected to arms having clamps 34 located around the steering post 35. The arms 32 and 33 at their meetings ends are formed with serrated enlargements 36, so that when they are clamped together by bolts 37 and nuts 38, they are secured against pivotal move ment, but are capable of a wide range of adjustment to properly locate the bearings 33. in accordance with the various locations of steeringposts on the many types of vehicles.

The upper bearing 31 is provided with an integral disk 39 which is engaged by a disk 40 movable on rod 28, and pressed into engagement with a disk 39 by a coiled spring t'l. located between a collar a2 and the disk 40.

The disk ll) is provided with a key 43 movable in a key way 44: in red 28 to prevent independent turning movement of the d1sk,,and as the disks e0 and provided with interengaging ribs 45 and grooves 46, they will operate to hold the rod 28 against accidental turning movement.

While I am not limited to any particularnumber of such ribs, l have shown in Fig. 8 the disk 40 with three of such ribs which will be a suliicient number to compensate for the various adjustments.

On the shaft 3, I provide a cup 47 which incloSes the electric contacts 20 and 21, and this cup is held in place by a collar 48 having a spacing sleeve 49 located above the same around the shaft 3 and below the bracket arm 4:.

In Figs. 9 and 10 I illustrate a modification in which the bar 10 is operated by an upwardly projecting hand lever 50 pivotally supported at its lower end as shown at 51, and operatively connected near its lower end to the bar 10 as shown at 52.

In this form of my invention the bar 10 is provided with a plurality of notches in which a spring 54 engages to hold the bar in the several positions of adjustment.

Various slight changes might be made in the general form and arrangement of parts described without departing from my invention, and hence I. do not limit myself to the precise details set forth, but consider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a 'chiclc, of a signal, a shaft supporting said signal, a rotatable rod, means opcratively connecting said rod and shaft, a bearing for said rod including a member surrounding said rod, a second member slidably keyed to said rod, said members having interengaging ribs and grooves, a collar on said rod, an expansion spring on the rod bearing between the collar and said latter member, and means for turning said rod, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a vehicle, of'a signal, a shaft supporting said signal, a rotatable rod, means operatively connecting said rod and shaft, a supporting post, adv justable arms secured to said post, one of said arms forming a bearing for said rod and including a disk, a second disk slidably keyed to said rod, said disks having in'terengaging ribs and grooves, a member secured to said rod, an expansion sprii'lg bearing between said member and the latter-mom tioned disk, and means for turning said rod, substantially as described. a

3. The combination with a vehicle, of a signal, a shaft supporting said signal, a rotatable rod, means operatively coimeeting said rod and shaft, a supporting-post, justable arms secured to said post, one of said arms forming a bearing for said rod and including a disk, second disk on said rod and including a screw, said rod having a keyway therein, said screw acting as a key and having its inner end projecting into said keyway, said diskshaving interengaging ribs and grooves," a collar on said rod, an expansion spring on the rod hearing between the collar and said latter disk, and means for turning said rod, substantially as described.

4:. The combination vith a vehicle, of a supporti lavin'g a recess therein, a vertical {ported in the block and having a signal thereon, a pinion on the shaft located in the recess, a cup forming a casing on the shaftand covering the pinion, a horizontal rack bar projecting through the recess in the bloclg, and meshing With the I pinion, a steering pestfarms clamped to the steering post, other arms adgustably and pivotally secured to thetirs't-mentioned arms and having bearings at their free ends, arod in said bearings, a pin on on the rod meshmg with the rack bar, and a hand Wheel on the rod, substantially as described The combination with a vehicle, of supports thereon projecting at one side of the vehicle, a vertical shaft mounted in the sup ports, a signal on the upper end of the shaft,

a pinion on the shaft, a bar movable at right angles tothe shaft and having a rack thereon engaging the pinion, a second rack on the bar, a rod located at an angle to the bar and having a pinionthereon engaging the rack, a steering post, arms clamped-to the steering post, bearings supporting rod, arms on the bearings pivotally-and adjustably secured to the first-mentioned arms, a hand wheel on the end of the rod, a disk secured to one of said hearings, a second disk movable on one of the, rods, said disks having web and recess engaging faces, and a spring holding the d sks together, substantially as descr bed.

(3. The combination with a vehicle, of supports thereon projecting at. one side of the vehicle, avertical shaft mounted in the sup ports, a signal on the upper end of the shaft, a pinion on the shaft, :1. bar movable'at right angles to the sh nd having a rack therethe' Union, a second rack on the p at an angle to the bar and on thereon engaging the rack,

1 bar, a roll cu-ied to the arse-mentioned arms, a hand Wheel on t to one oi F able on r "Wlll and collar on t, arms clamped to the steerrigs supporting the rod, arms s having secured to thenbottom and Within the cup, an electrically connected pin extending outwardly from said shaft, and means for relatively moving said shaft to move the pin into engagement with said contact to light the lamp and to change the signal, substantially as described. v

.8. The combination with a vehicie, of a supporting block, an upright shaft extending from said block and having a signai thereon, a, cup on said block enveloping portion of said shaft, an electric lamp adjacent said signal, a segmental electric contact Within the cup and having two contacting portions extending in opposite directions circumferentially of the shaft, an electrically connected pin movable by said shaft, and means for relatively turning said shaft with respect to the contact to alternately move said pin into engagement with the contacting portions to light the lamp When the signal is turned into either of two directions, substantially as described.

extending in opposite directions circumferentially of the shaft, an electrically connected member on said shaft, a rack bar slidable Within the recess in the block and meshmg with the p1nion,-and means for moving the rack bar longitudinally to move said member alternately into engagement with said contact portions to light "the lamp and to change the position of said signal, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have name to this specification in the 1 two subscribing" Witnesses.

HARVEY P. NOBLE,

ned my =vvsence of Witnesses:

I'IARVEY F. NOBLE, T. H. .Drvrnn. 

